Astah User Interface

When you start Astah System Safety for the first time, you may get this blank screen.
Astah System Safety Blank at launch

But once you create a project or a diagram, the left pane will open:
Astah System Safety with Structure Tree View

Every project has four different containers by default. SysML Model, SCDL Model, STAMP/STPA Model and GSN Model. When you create models, the models will be stored in one of these containers.
Also, SysML Model includes some pre-installed models.
Pre-installed models in SysML model

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Astah User Interface

Astah System Safety consists of four sections:

Astah UI
  1. Main Menu: Lists of the basic menu
  2. Project View: Show model information in a tree view and where you search models in a project and STPA procedure
  3. Property View: Edit detailed information of the selected model
  4. Diagram Editor: A canvas where you draw diagrams
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Project View

Project View provides an overview of the whole project. Tabs at the top can be used to switch the view between “Structure Tree”, “Map”, “Diagram”, “Search”, and “STPA procedure“.

[Structure Tree] Pane

The Structure Tree is the default view in this Project View where you can see the structure of the whole model in your project in a hierarchy view. You can organize diagrams and models using packages.

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Jump to related diagrams

When a model is used in more than one place, you can find where they are and jump to it.

  1. Open a structure tree (the left-top pane).
  2. Right-click on a model and select [All Related Diagrams].
  3. A list of diagrams where the model is used will appear. Choose one.
    Choosing a model in the tree to jump to diagram

  4. The diagram will open with a focus on the model you selected.
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[Diagram] Pane

[Diagram] view shows a list of all the diagrams in the project file. You can sort this list by its name, diagram type, the model type and also packages where the diagrams belong to.
Diagram List

You can open the diagram or jump to where the diagram is in the structure tree from the context menu of the diagram in this list.

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[Search] Pane

In this Search view, you can search models and diagrams within a project.
You can use search options to access the specific models or replace strings, and clean up the project by finding unused models or broken hyperlinks…etc.
Search pane in Astah System Safety

Search Options

You can filter out models that are not on any of the diagrams or referenced by any other models and also find broken hyperlinks.
Astah System Safety's Search Options

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[STPA Procedure] Pane

[STPA Procedure] pane is a guidance to help you go through the basic STPA steps. It is not mandatory to follow the whole process as it shows but for anyone who first starts using this tool, we suggest you follow so you can learn how Astah System Safety supports STPA. For more details, please read “Start STAMP/STPA with Astah System Safety”.
STPA-analysis procedure

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Light Theme and Dark Theme

Dark theme is available since version 8.0. To change the theme, go to [View] – [Look & Feel].
After changing the theme, you will need to restart Astah System Safety.
TIPS: 8 Best Light/Dark Themes

Change Look and Feel in Astah System Safety

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Map View

Map View is a controller of the diagram view. Since version 8.0, this appears at the corner of Diagram editor.
Map View in Astah System Safety

The blue rectangle indicates the area that is currently shown in the Diagram Editor.

Move

You can drag the blue rectangle to change the area you want to see on the diagram editor.

Zoom in/out

You can resize the blue rectangle by a right-drag to pinpoint where you want to see of the diagram.Using Map View for Astah System Safety

Change the location of Map View

You can place this Map View at any corner of the diagram editor from [Tools] – [System Properties] – [Diagram Editor] – [Location of Map View in the Diagram Editor].
Change a location of Map View

(e.g. Move Map View up to the right-corner of the diagram editor)
Change location of Map View in Astah System Safety